What is the, if there exists any, the science behind the human fascination with serial killers and crime shows?
In: Biology
Humans are information addicts. We thrive because of our big brains and innate curiosity.
Crime shows tick multiple boxes for why they get a rise out of us. On one level, we’re fascinated by learning about dangers. Because learning about someone else’s death or the killers and predators that stalk us, might provide us with information that will help us prevent our own death.
Along the same line, surviving danger gives us a rush. It’s the hormones that make us alert and jittery to help us deal with danger. After the danger passes, those hormones don’t immediately disappear. So we feel giddy, giggly, energised.
That’s why we like horror and scary stories. We get that “I survived the danger” rush without the actual danger.
Your physiological reactions don’t really differentiate between factual and fictional danger. That’s why things like movies, books, tv, theatre etc. can move us.
In the true/oft-neglected-but-intended format of this sub:
Did you ever steal a cookie from the cookie jar? How tasty did it taste? Tastier than an unstolen or maybe even earned cookie? Yes?
Then imagine instead that you were able to steal every cookie in the jar and that they all tasted good, but then less and less good as you move on, eating every single cookie you can get your sweet little five year old hands on/in/around.
Suddenly that last cookie doesn’t taste as good and then the only thing tastier than the first cookie might be the baker-type-person who baked the first cookie. Then before too long you’re out there eating bakers.
In terms of serial killer docs, the viewer (you) loves cookies. You can almost imagine killing for a cookie in the most unfortunate of times. But here is a man killing for cookies left and right, which is gluttonous and gross but you can almost relate. So you do relate, watching these shows every night, with an ever-dwindling tray/bag of Chips Ahoy: saying “yuck” and “yum” at the same time.
Humans want to see consequences to actions that they understand are deviant and are curious to the the thinking behind their “logical” thinking (i.e., planning, motivation, efficacy, etc.)
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